We have a special guest this Holiday season.
The Holidays have been hard. The dogs grieve with me. Often curling up in bed is our day's activity. A visit from BrownStone Chinook Centennial Wind aka Ullr has brought joy and frivolity to the withdrawn household. He immediately raided the toy box. Before his family was out the drive, Ullr was initiating games of keep-away and tug. Toys littering the house have resulted in startling squeaks as I stumble about in the dark of night. The yard is once again mud from vigorous games of Chinook Tag.
The obligatory Christmas Eve photo shoot was a bit of a challenge but worth it.
Tonight I will await Santa snuggled in bed with four Chinooks and Jake the cat. This human creature will not be stirring - I will barely fit and won't even be able to roll over. As I dose off to the sound of pitter-pattering of rain on metal, my visions will be of fuzzy toys and running Nooks - or trying to breathe as I am being suffocated by each dog attempting to get as much bodily contact as possible and Jake purring on my head. I will continue to miss and dream of Dave. We both loved Christmas. He would roll his eyes at the tree overloaded with hundreds of lights and come up with excuses for the outside Christmas lights to go up early and stay into spring if possible. We would open our presents on Christmas Eve. At 0530 Christmas Day we would leave for the ski area. For 37 years we cooked an annual feast for the Ski Patrol. We only missed when the area did not open for lack of snow. Tomorrow the area will not be open. Dinner will be a special feast for the fur kids.
Tonight I will be surrounded by memories, hope, warmth and love.
